What incentive was primarily offered to holders of encomienda?

Holders of encomienda were primarily offered control over labor for economic gain as an incentive. This system, instituted during the Spanish colonization of the Americas, granted settlers the right to demand tribute and labor from Indigenous peoples in exchange for supposed protection and religious instruction. The encomenderos (holders of the encomienda) benefited significantly from this arrangement, as they could utilize Indigenous labor for mining, agriculture, and other economic activities, thereby increasing their wealth and the productivity of their estates.

This incentive encouraged the establishment of the encomienda system as a means to exploit natural resources and labor in the colonies, which was central to the Spanish colonial economy. While other options might seem appealing, they do not capture the primary economic motivation that drove the effectiveness and spread of the encomienda. Land access without oversight or the ability to create new laws were certainly relevant in the broader context of colonial governance, but it was the direct control over labor that was the most significant incentive for encomenderos in maximizing their economic benefit from Indigenous populations.